The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) said a ballistic missile fired from Iran was headed for Turkey before it was intercepted, contradicting an earlier claim by a Turkish official that the missile was aimed at a military base in Cyprus.
A NATO spokesman confirmed Thursday’s assessment of the alliance in remarks to AFP.
Asked whether the missile was deliberately aimed at sites in Turkey, NATO spokesman Martin O’Donnell said: “Yes.”
He also pointed to NATO’s formal response issued earlier regarding the incident.
The alliance condemns Iran’s actions
In an earlier statement, another NATO spokeswoman, Allison Hart, condemned what the alliance described as an attack aimed at Turkey.
“The alliance condemns Iran’s targeting of Turkey,” Hart said, using the country’s official name.
The remarks underscore growing tensions in the region amid escalating hostilities involving Iran and its regional rivals.
Limited details due to security concerns
Despite confirming the alliance’s assessment, O’Donnell declined to provide further details about the missile’s intended target or trajectory.
“I will refrain from divulging any further information that could affect the security or protection of the force,” he said.
The lack of additional information reflects security sensitivities regarding missile defense systems and operational responses.
Turkey claims the missile was intercepted
Earlier on Thursday, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said NATO defense systems had successfully intercepted and neutralized a ballistic missile fired from Iran.
According to the ministry, the missile was detected heading towards Turkey before it was shot down.
However, the ministry did not provide further technical details about the wiretapping.
